Washington, D.C. – August 29, 2025 – In the swirling vortex of Donald Trump’s political universe, sycophants—those unwavering loyalists who prioritize flattery over frank counsel—play a pivotal role in amplifying the former president’s often hyperbolic or factually challenged statements. The query at hand, “Who are Trump’s sycophants who force him to give absurd answers?” points to a dynamic where aides, allies, and media enablers create an environment of unchecked adulation, indirectly “forcing” Trump to double down on outlandish claims to sustain the praise. This isn’t literal coercion but a symbiotic relationship: Sycophants shower Trump with validation, insulating him from criticism and encouraging responses that escalate absurdity for applause or alignment. As historian Robert Dallek noted in a 2018 analysis, surrounding a leader with “yes-men” deprives them of “honesty and hard truths,” leading to flawed judgment and exaggerated self-perception. In Trump’s case, this has manifested in rallies, interviews, and policy announcements where baseless assertions—like claims of election fraud or economic miracles—go unchallenged, prompting even more extreme retorts.
Drawing from recent analyses and historical patterns, Trump’s inner circle and broader network of enablers foster this echo chamber. Below, we break down key figures and groups, categorized by their roles, with examples of how their sycophancy contributes to Trump’s “absurd answers.” These individuals and entities reward Trump’s impulses with effusive praise, creating a feedback loop where dissent is equated with disloyalty, and absurdity is normalized as genius.
Cabinet Members and Administration Officials: The Worship Sessions
Trump’s Cabinets, both in his first term and the nascent second, have been notorious for ritualistic praise that borders on parody. During a 2017 Cabinet meeting, Vice President Mike Pence thanked Trump 14 times in under three minutes, setting a tone of servility that persists. This environment “forces” Trump to respond with grandiose claims, as any deviation might shatter the adulation. In his 2025 Cabinet meetings, which have stretched to over three hours—longer than many films—the sycophancy is televised, with members competing to outdo each other.
- Mike Pence (Former VP): Once dubbed “Sycophant-in-Chief,” Pence’s obsequiousness preserved his position but exemplified how flattery enables Trump’s unchecked rhetoric. In 2019, Pence praised Trump as a “historic president” during announcements, prompting Trump to boast about unverified achievements like “the greatest economy ever,” despite data showing otherwise. Pence’s loyalty without pushback “forced” Trump into absurd defenses, like claiming he alone rebuilt the military.
- JD Vance (Current VP): Vance, who once called Trump “America’s Hitler” but now goads him with demands for “respect” from others (e.g., scolding Zelenskyy in 2025 for not thanking Trump enough), manipulates the dynamic to elicit extreme responses. By positioning himself as Trump’s enforcer, Vance’s sycophancy encourages Trump to issue ultimatums, like threatening World War III over Ukraine aid, knowing Vance will applaud.
- Pam Bondi (Attorney General): In 2025 confirmation hearings, Bondi dodged hypotheticals about investigating Trump’s critics while lecturing senators on unrelated issues, embodying the “no dissent” ethos Trump demands. Her flattery in memos and speeches has “forced” Trump into absurd legal defenses, such as dismissing indictments as distractions from his “focus” on crime.
- Pete Hegseth (Secretary of Defense): Hegseth’s 2025 speeches concede ground to adversaries (e.g., calling Ukraine territorial returns “unrealistic”) while praising Trump’s “transformational” leadership, prompting Trump to respond with bellicose absurdities like bombing Mexico for fentanyl.
- Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Secretary of Labor) and Brooke Rollins (Secretary of Agriculture): Chavez-DeRemer invited Trump to see his “big, beautiful face” on a department banner, while Rollins called his tenure a “revolution” akin to 1776. Such overt worship elicits Trump’s rambling boasts, like claiming he’s single-handedly saving American workers amid rising inflation.
These officials, by prioritizing loyalty, create a “circus of sycophants” where Trump, as Newsweek described, only hears praise, leading to unfiltered absurdities like tariff calculations based on “nonsense.”
Republican Lawmakers: The Legislative Lapdogs
GOP lawmakers often propose bills or statements so fawning they prompt Trump’s hyperbolic retorts, reinforcing his narrative of victimhood or supremacy. As The New Republic noted, this sycophancy has led to absurd proposals that Trump then amplifies.
- Andy Ogles (R-TN): In 2025, Ogles filed to repeal the 22nd Amendment for a third Trump term, calling him the “only figure capable of reversing our nation’s decay.” This flattery “forced” Trump to muse about eternal rule, posting “LONG LIVE THE KING” on social media.
- Brandon Gill (R-TX): Gill’s bill to replace Benjamin Franklin with Trump on the $100 bill honors his “towering legacy,” eliciting Trump’s boasts about his economic “genius” despite evidence of policy failures.
- Claudia Tenney (R-NY): Tenney’s push for Trump’s birthday as a federal holiday, dubbing him the “founder of America’s Golden Age,” prompted Trump to claim his leadership rivals George Washington’s—absurd given ongoing economic woes.
- Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL): Luna’s bill to add Trump to Mount Rushmore, just eight days into his term, led Trump to declare himself alongside Lincoln as a “savior,” ignoring criticisms of his early chaos.
These actions, as Vox analyzed, form a “hierarchy of sycophantic defenders” where lawmakers exploit Trump’s base by echoing his claims, “forcing” escalatory responses.
Media and Influencers: The Amplification Machine
Right-wing media and influencers provide the daily “folder of glowing tweets” Trump craves, as reported by Vice, turning interviews into praise sessions that elicit absurd defenses.
- Brian Glenn (Right Side Broadcasting Network): Glenn, aboard Air Force One in 2025, fawned over Trump’s “amazing health” post-physical, prompting Trump to claim he’s “energized like never before” at his age, despite medical concerns.
- Fox News Hosts and Commentators: Figures like Sean Hannity have hosted “worship sessions,” defending Trump’s every utterance. In 2025, their unchallenged platforms “forced” Trump into rants like calling critics “random countries’ puppets.”
- Steve Witkoff (Trump Golf Partner and Envoy): At a 2025 Cabinet meeting, Witkoff lamented Trump doesn’t “get proper credit,” shifting goals on Ukraine and Gaza to praise Trump, eliciting vows of “imminent deals” that never materialized.
Social media posts echo this: Users describe Trump’s rallies as spectacles where sycophants “stand around like supplicant fools” while he “rambles nonsense,” nodding approvingly.
Broader Implications: A Dangerous Feedback Loop
As Robert Reich argued in The Guardian, Trump’s preference for “incompetent sycophants” creates a “symbiotic relationship” where loyalty trumps competence, leading to poor decisions and absurd escalations. The Conversation warned that this fosters “groupthink,” ignoring red flags and reinforcing delusions—like Trump’s 2025 tariff flip-flops, where sycophants repeated lies until economic cracks appeared. Fair Observer noted the dismantling of governance capacity, with sycophants enabling chaos abroad and at home.
In X discussions, users lament reporters not calling out Trump’s “gibberish,” allowing sycophants to prop up his ego. Historical precedents, like Harding’s unqualified circle, suggest Trump’s sycophancy risks catastrophic outcomes.
Ultimately, these enablers don’t “force” absurdity through threats but through a culture of flattery that rewards it. As long as praise flows, Trump’s responses will remain unbridled— a recipe for more spectacle than substance.